Everything You Should Know About Tape-In Hair Extensions

After having tape-in hair extensions for a few months now, I feel like I can finally give you a full review on my experience.

As you may already know, I go to Salty Mane in Santa Monica. Liana ( the owner ) has been so helpful in teaching me how to take care of my hair, and has quickly become a dear friend that I can also connect with in talking about our businesses. She’s amazing and if you are an LA local, I highly recommend checking her salon out!

It’s the most ideal aesthetic ( think crisp white walls, wood floors, cactus and plants all over, always has sage or palo santo burning, and full of the nicest hair stylists that make you so happy to be there ), and in the cutest location near Santa Monica beach. Also, the street parking is 9/10 times SO easy. I find a spot right out front more times than not, and when I have to go “searching” for a spot nearby, it’s always just right across the street. All in all, it’s an amazing experience.

Liana is also nice enough to give 20% off services if you mention my name!

Now that we’ve established my deep love for all things Salty Mane, let’s talk extensions. Tape-in extensions from Bellami PRO to be specific.

I went in a few months ago ( before I was engaged actually ) and mentioned to her that I’d be interested in trying extensions out before my *future* wedding to see if it’s something I’d like to have for my big day. She agreed that it would be fun to try them, and suggested we go the tape-in route.

Liana has been doing my hair for just over a year now and has come to know exactly how it reacts to certain conditions; she knew that we’d have to first do a Brazilian blowout to tame the flyaways and calm the natural curls I have, and also thin out the ends a bit so my hair would blend nicely.

I have super thick hair that is naturally curly, so before we could move forward with the extensions process, these steps were vital! Which perfectly explains why all at-home DIY extensions have never quite worked for my hair.

The Brazilian blowout was one appointment, and then I came in the following week for extensions application. It’s best to give time in between these appointments because the hair is so soft, that you run the risk of the tape-ins slipping.

Liana orders from Bellami PRO, which I was happy about because I was already familiar with their brand. For my tape-in extensions she ordered 3 different sets with all different types of blonde so it was a more natural, blended look. She also used all three packs, which she said she doesn’t normally do. Keep this in mind if you have thicker hair! She typically uses one pack on girls. This is something to consider as far as pricing goes as well.

The application process was super quick, and painless.

At first, the hair felt super heavy because I wasn’t used to the thickness or length. I can say now that I literally do not notice them after getting used to the difference. In fact, it feels normal to me now to have this much hair!

My biggest concern was how I was going to wash the hair because I couldn’t really picture how it would go down, but let me tell you…there’s virtually no difference from when you’re washing your natural hair.

The only big difference is the weight of your hair, the thickness, and the hairstyles you’re able to create. The tape-in extensions show if you have them near the front of your head (which I did) so you have to be strategic when putting it up or braiding it.

Another thing I LOVED about my extensions was that I could let them air dry after a shower and they would dry slightly wavy, just like my natural hair. This made them easier to not only style, but also let them go “natural” if I didn’t feel like curling my hair.

Other than the fact that it took longer because, duh, there’s more hair…curling my hair was also exactly the same as when I didn’t have extensions.

The hair curled very easily, and stayed curly for days!

TAKE NOTE, though, that you MUST wear your hair in a low pony or braid while you sleep. You do NOT want your tapes to pull in your sleep, or get tangled…so this is key.

I got my extensions put in right around the middle of September, and throughout the duration had them “moved up” 2 separate times. The first was on Halloween, and the second was December 11. Typically you can go 4-6 weeks in between appointments. I found that 6 weeks was perfect, but everyone varies!

All in all I can say that I am fully into tape-in hair extensions. I’m actually getting them out TODAY in preparation for our wedding! Going to let my hair take a break, and then get some form of extensions in again right before the wedding in October.